Water Wars
by punkiemonkie
Summary: It’s a sweltering hot summer in Edge, and during a trip to the store with Denzel, Cloud comes up with a plan to beat the heat; one that involves water guns. --Oneshot. Some Cloud/Tifa--


**(A/N) **After a long time of being away from Fanfiction all together, I'm back with a new story! I have to thank Qwi-Xux, because I absolutely adore the way she writes about Cloud and Tifa's family, and although I usually shy away from writing things that involve kids, her writing inspired me to take a step outside of my comfort zone and try to write a family-oriented story of my own. :3 Just so I don't confuse anybody: the kind of water-shooting gun that I'm talking about here is the kind called "Super Soakers". I'm not sure if that's an international thing, but if you're from America then I know you'll know what I'm talking about. I didn't want to use the name brand in my story though. O_o

This takes place sometime after _Advent Children_ (or _Advent Children Complete_) and I guess it could even be after _Dirge of Cerberus, _but the timeline really isn't all that important since it's just a quick I can't seem to break myself away from writing in first person, this one is in Cloud's point of view. ;)

**Water Wars**

I am _so_ sick of this heat.

It snows here in Edge during the winter, so how can the summers be so impossibly hot? I'm not even really sure what the temperatures are reaching these days, but quite frankly, I'm afraid to watch the weather segment of the news anymore. To top it all off, since we had to stop relying on mako reactors to get our energy after Meteor, the power supply is fairly unstable just about everywhere now, and it only gets worse in severe weather. The machines they're using to generate the power must not be able to handle the extreme heat, because we've had blackouts off and on all over the city since the temperature spiked. This means no air conditioning, and not even any way to turn on in some kind of fan.

It's been absolutely _miserable_.

I suppose Tifa and I probably have a hard time adjusting to the heat because even though we've been living in the city for years, we grew up in a cold mountain climate, so our bodies just aren't used to having to deal with this kind of weather. Denzel and Marlene seem to handle it a little better than we do, but since the heat wave started a few weeks ago I've noticed that they haven't been running around outside and playing with their friends as often as they used to, not that I blame them.

Despite the heat, Tifa has still been running the bar, because we both figured that people would need some place where they could come for a cold drink. It would seem that we were right, because Seventh Heaven has been filled with more customers than usual lately. On the contrary, my deliveries have slowed considerably; probably because no one has the will to do much anymore because of the current weather situation, so they don't need things delivered. I'm not complaining though, because riding around on Fenrir all day only to come home exhausted, sweaty, and with a nasty sunburn isn't exactly my idea of fun. Working for half of the day, while it's not quite as hot outside, and then coming home to help Tifa around the bar suits me just fine.

Today is Sunday though, which happens to be the one day of the week that Seventh Heaven is closed, and also the day that I take off from doing any deliveries. When I last saw her, Tifa was half-heartedly attempting to clean the house, although she looked like she was about ready to give up; it's hard to find the motivation to do any kind of work when just standing still makes you sweat. She sent me on an errand to pick up a few things at the convenience store down the block, and Denzel offered to go with me, so we've been wandering around the store for the past twenty minutes or so trying to find everything on Tifa's list.

"Why does it have to be so _hot_?" Denzel moans from where he's standing at my side, although I don't think he's actually looking for an answer from me.

Despite the fact that the heat seems to have sucked the energy out of him like it has from the rest of us, he still insists on helping me carry the groceries around the store in the shopping basket. In that way, he reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age; trying so hard to grown up before his time.

As I'm reaching up to the top shelf to retrieve a bag of chips, I notice that Denzel seems to have suddenly woken up a little and become more alert. He's staring over at the opposite end of the aisle, and when I follow his line of sight I understand why. There, on the last column of shelves, are a bunch of children's toys. There are several dozen different kinds of plastic knick-knacks sitting there, but for some reason I just know that Denzel's eyes must be locked on the water guns in the center; the kind with a pump that increases the pressure to release the water in the holding tank. There not very big, but I'd be willing to bet that they could each hold at least a half of a gallon of water.

I know that Denzel won't actually ask me to buy one for him, just because that's how he's always been, but as I'm standing there staring at them, a plan begins to form within my mind; I think I know how we can all get cooled off today

After placing the chips into the basket that Denzel is carrying, which I've been trying to fill with the least heavy items on the list, I walk past him and go down the aisle, heading over to where all of the toys are sitting. He seems confused, but he follows after me without questioning it, watching me closely. I reach over and pick up one of the guns before turning to hand it to Denzel, who looks up at me with a curious expression on his face.

"Let's get two of them," I suggest, turning back to grab another one.

Denzel gives me a nod, and although I'm not entirely sure if he understands my intentions, he grins at me anyway. It shows off the missing tooth in the front of his mouth, and I find myself returning his smile without consciously deciding to do so. It's nice to see him excited about doing something that fits his age once in awhile, instead of always watching him struggle to act older and more independent.

We finish with the rest of our shopping quickly, and soon enough we're walking back towards home with three bags of groceries; two of them in my arms and one in Denzel's. Our newly acquired water guns are resting in the top of one of the bags that I'm carrying, and in between listening to Denzel chatter about his last day of school before he was released for the summer, my plans on how to go about using the toy guns begin to solidify. Denzel seems to have perked up quite a bit since we left the store; maybe the excitement over the water guns was enough to pull him out of the sleepy lull caused by the heat.

When we round the corner and approach Seventh Heaven, Denzel starts to automatically head towards the front door, but I put a hand on his shoulder and guide him into the alley on the side of the bar instead. When we're a little ways into the alley, I bend over to set my paper grocery bags down on the ground. Denzel copies me, but he stares up at me with an inquisitive look; apparently trying to discover what's going on in my head, but not choosing to voice his confusion just yet.

I think Denzel must have originally been under the impression that I just bought the water guns for him and Marlene to play with, but when I pull the guns out of the bag and hand one to him, understanding begins to dawn on his face. I think he now realizes that I have every intention of using these seemingly harmless toys for attacking a very unsuspecting Tifa and Marlene inside the house.

Without explaining any more, I take a few steps towards the small faucet that juts out from the wall on the side of the building adjacent to the bar, and after twisting open the cap on the plastic gun, I turn the handle to release the surprisingly icy water into the tank. Denzel catches on immediately, and he hands me the other gun once the first one has been completely filled. Then he sets about pumping the gun in his hands to increase the pressure, and after doing so he pulls the trigger just slightly, as if to test it, and it sends a stream of water shooting nearly ten feet down the alley. He chuckles quietly, and the grin that has been teasing at the corners of my mouth since I thought of this plan becomes more prominent; we can really do some damage with the range these things have.

Just as the water level on the second gun reaches the top, I twist the faucet's handle back the other way to turn it off, and when I have the cap secured I copy Denzel's motion of pumping up my own gun. I look back at him then, putting a single finger up to my lips as a signal for him to stay silent, and he gives me an earnest nod to let me know that he understands. After lifting all three bags of groceries into my arms, I move towards the door on the wall a few feet down the alley, the one that leads into the side of the bar. I juggle the bags as I twist my key into the lock, and open the door as silently as I can manage.

Denzel goes ahead of me, poking his head into the room so he can look around to make sure that no one has heard us return home, and when he is certain that it's clear he waves me forward. I step into the room, making sure to shut the door behind me carefully, and then I step over to the far wall where I set the grocery bags down on top of the washing machine. The dryer next to it is running with a load of clothes inside, and I'm thankful that its low hum is covering up any noise we might be making.

This room is kind of separate from the rest of the house, and it serves as a laundry room, a garage and workshop for Fenrir, and also a workout room, which is why the far corner is filled with various weights as well as a punching bag. I usually find myself spending quite a bit of time out here, but I don't plan on staying for long today; Denzel and I are on a mission.

With my hands now freed of everything except for the water gun, I creep over to the door that leads into the main part of the house, preparing to try and sneak inside. Upon glancing back over my shoulder I see that Denzel is following close behind me, with his gun held tightly in his hands and a determined, but excited look on his face.

"Ready?" I whisper, feeling the twinge of a smirk that is trying to form on my face.

Denzel gives me an eager nod, so I quickly turn back towards the door, knowing that if Tifa decides to come out here and finish the laundry we'll both be busted. As I pull open the door I find myself subconsciously holding my breath in a further attempt to keep quiet, although I know that it's unlikely Tifa will hear us even if she is as close as being in the bar. On her days off, she's usually busy this time of day taking inventory on supplies or tidying up the bar, so I think I can count on her being there. And if Marlene isn't downstairs helping Tifa, then she will probably be up in her room, so we'll be able to find her too.

Of course, this is all contingent on whether or not my plan of a sneak attack actually _works_, and if history has taught me anything, it's that things don't always go according to my plans.

Brushing off any thought of defeat, I step carefully through the doorway and out into the hall. Taking a left turn would lead us into the living area, so instead I head to the right; stopping just as I get to the edge of the wall, where it makes a sharp corner that will turn out into the bar area. Denzel is right at my heels, with his back pressed up against the wall in a stance like my own, waiting patiently while I listen for any sign or either Tifa or Marlene.

I don't hear anything that indicates that Marlene may be downstairs, but when I listen closely I can here the clanking of glasses and running water, as well as the faint sound of Tifa humming quietly to herself; she's probably doing dishes in the bar sink. I give Denzel a meaningful look, letting him know that we're about to begin our ambush. He flashes his toothy grin at me once again, seeming to be excited by this game that I've come up with.

Seconds after I've turned away from Denzel, both of us spring out from around the corner and commence our attack on an unsuspecting, and _very_ surprised Tifa. Before she even has time to figure out what's going on, Denzel yells out a battle cry and both of us squeeze down the triggers on our guns, sending two streams of water spraying out towards her and soaking different parts of her shirt and shorts. Her eyes go wide as she screams and tries to duck out of the way, grabbing a plastic serving tray off of the counter and using it to try and shield herself.

"Ack! Cloud, Denzel, stop it!" Tifa yells at us from behind her shield. I know she isn't too serious about it though, because I can here her giggling in between her words.

Denzel begins laughing wildly at Tifa's reaction and her half-hearted attempt to escape the spray of water, and I find myself chuckling a little along with him. Neither of us pays any attention to her request in the least, and we continue to drench her with repeated blasts from the water guns in between pausing to pump them back up to full pressure. This goes on for a few more seconds before Denzel breaks away from me and starts moving towards the stairs; he probably knows that Marlene is going to hear Tifa's shrieking and giggling and eventually come to see what's going on, and then we'll lose any chance of a preemptive strike on her.

"I'll go get Marlene," Denzel announces in a hushed but excited voice, looking up at me for confirmation.

I look towards him to give him a quick nod, and then he promptly turns and bounds up the stairs to find her. Leaving my head turned in the direction of the stairs, I listen intently for a clue about whether or not Denzel has been successful. A few seconds later though, I get my answer when I first hear Marlene's door being opened, and then, immediately after, the sound of her yelping in surprise and Denzel's resulting laughter.

I am distracted for a moment with the thought of how our surprise attack seems to have been a total success, but I make the mistake of leaving my attention away from Tifa for too long. Before I can even turn back to look at her she has already discarded her improvised shield and is running straight for me, slamming into my torso a half of a second later and tackling me to the ground. I let out a surprised noise and an 'oof' as I hit the hard wooden floor, but Tifa pays me no mind; she has her eyes set firmly on retaliation.

She remains sitting up as she straddles my waist, effectively pinning me to the ground where I'm now lying flat on my back, and before I have a chance to react she rips the water gun out of my hands. Knowing what is surely coming, I start to protest, but my mouth is suddenly filled with water as Tifa pulls the trigger and begins mercilessly spraying me in the face with my own gun. I instinctively struggle beneath her and try to protect my face from the stinging stream of water, but it does me no good, and it isn't long before I start thinking that the possibility of a surrender doesn't really sound that bad.

It takes me a moment of spitting sputtering and before I am able to speak, but I finally manage to choke out my words past the flow of water. "Alright…you win!" I shout to her desperately, praying that she'll listen to me and not continue trying to drown me in the middle of the floor.

"The great Cloud Strife is _surrendering_?" Tifa asks skeptically, although I can clearly hear the teasing in her voice.

Thankfully, she stops spraying me then, and I fall back against the floor and let out a sigh of relief. "Yes," I agree resignedly, trying to wipe the water out of my eyes so I can see again.

When my vision clears, I decide to try and peer tentatively up at Tifa, hoping that she won't decide to start soaking me again. My hair and most of my shirt are already completely drenched, although I have to admit that in this heat, the water doesn't feel bad at all. I crack one eye open and cautiously look up at her, but instead of being faced with the end of the water gun, all I see Tifa smiling down at me.

Her eyes are lit up with mirth, and I can tell instantly that this silly game Denzel and I decided to play hasn't upset her in the least, even if she is just about as wet as I am. I feel a slow smile beginning to form on my lips as I look up at her, admiring the way bits of her hair have slipped out of her sloppy ponytail and are now falling delicately around her face. A short moment later she leans down to gently cover my mouth with her own, and my smile widens against her lips. The kiss seems to be a peace offering of sorts, or maybe she's just thanking me for finding a clever way to beat the heat today. Either way, I'm definitely not complaining.

Tifa leans back away from me after a moment, and when she catches sight of something over my head she laughs in surprise. I tilt my head back so I am able to see the staircase, and I instantly understand the reason for her amusement: Denzel is trudging down the stairs with his hands held above his head in a clear sign of surrender, and Marlene is right behind him, firmly holding Denzel's water gun and keeping it aimed at his back. Parts of his shirt are spotted with water and his hair is dripping, and I realize that a situation similar to what Tifa pulled on me must have happened to Denzel as well.

"It looks like the girls win this round," Tifa says confidently, smiling at the kids and then down at me again.

Marlene grins at her triumphantly, but she lowers the gun and releases Denzel from the threat of being sprayed again. Her eyes flicker down to me then, and she giggles when she takes in my position. "You look funny, Cloud," she informs me with a smirk on her face.

I can only smile in response, knowing that she's probably right; being soaking wet from the waist up and held to the ground by a woman, even if she _is_ a really strong one, doesn't exactly radiate dignity.

"Well that backfired," Denzel huffs in defeat as he lowers his arms back down to his sides.

Both Marlene and Tifa laugh in unison then, and my smile widens even more. Tifa finally decides to slide off of me, and after she's standing she extends her hand down to help me up, which I take gratefully. Denzel is still pouting in the wake of Marlene outsmarting him, so I reach out to ruffle his hair, and his expression changes so that he appears be holding back a smile of his own then. He doesn't really seem to be that bothered by our plan failing, and considering the circumstances, I suppose that I don't really mind either.

I'm sure there are probably better ways to cool off, but this way certainly was entertaining.

**The End**

**(A/N) **Aside from this one, I've been working on three other stories at the moment. As always, there are details on my profile, if you're interested. :3 There's also a poll there that is especially for all of you that read my stories, so be sure to check that out too. ;) On a side note: I think I may have jinxed myself by writing this, because the day I completed this, the power in _my_ house went out and it was miserably hot for over two hours. It made me wish that I still owned a squirt gun. XD

Thanks in advance to anyone who decides to review! :D

-punkiemonkie


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